My understanding is that TFS is not just a source control system. You may also need issue tracking, code review, a wiki system, etc. and have them all integrated.

An alternative as I mentioned before is the Atlassian Tool Suite (JIRA, Crucible) which is really inexpensive for small teams (the whole shabang will cost something like $70-80). That's personally what I'd do if I was running a 10 man or less team. If you are a large organization it is also relatively inexpensive (because they have an unlimited CAL license available).

If you want to go full open source, there is also Trac and Redmine. Some of the most productive and respected software development teams where I work use Trac, I don't know if there is a correlation there or not though.

For source control I prefer Git, and have begun to use for a new project I've recently became project leader on. But Subversion is pretty good as well.

@Bass: Great point! This is where it really begins to add value and why I sometimes feel it really is the right solution. It's also why I have such an affinity for Dr. Herbie's pain (and not just with TFS).

As you rightly noted, you absolutely can get there with alternatives. Either way (TFS or other), don't underestimate the effort needed to tailor the product suite to suit your process (and your process to the product suite) -- recovering RUP fanatic

Thanks. I can't relate to Dr Herbie's pain, I've worked most my entire (admittedly short) software career in organizations that embrace FOSS tools (often by necessary, in the the internal bureaucracy for acquiring and paying for proprietary software is very difficult to navigate).

But off comment, I'd wouldn't recommend tailoring your process to the product suite. Find the best process and tailor your product suite to the process, and if it can not easily be tailored, find a new product.

Too many software teams appease the tools ideology instead of the tools appeasing them. And that's how TPS reports were born.

Exactly what are you implying with regard to my post? I don't "wish" Microsoft licensing is complicated .. it sounds like you're accusing me of pirating software and then trying to find a "loophole."

I thought that was pretty obvious by the way I put my statement "Wishful thinking != reality" just after your quote "This thread alone could throw any software piracy case out of court", which sounds to me like someone saying "Well if I can't understand it, no judge would allow it in court" which is simply not the case. Ignorance is not a defence in contract law. If you sign it (or in an EULA, use the product) you are bound by it.

"So if you have 10 people on your team and they own VS Pro with an active MSDN Subscription then you now have 10 CAL's and 10 server licenses"

Does that mean the MSDN subs need to be kept active to keep the CALs?

Most (not all) software in an MSDN Subscription is subject to what's referred to as "perpetual rights" - this means that if you decide to let your MSDN Subscription lapse, then you may continue using the software which was in your Subscription at that time but you may NOT get access to new versions. The TFS server and TFS CAL licenses are part of this perpetual rights software. However, also note that you would not be eligible for an upgrade if your subscription has lapsed. When TFS "11" comes out you would need to buy a new server and CAL, or renew your Subscription.